This academic year, the physics departments at Florida State University (FSU) and California State University, Long Beach become the latest sites to offer underrepresented minorities in the US a sound preparation for a PhD in physics via so-called bridge programs (see Physics Today, March 2011, page 30). The American Physical Society (APS) launched bridge sites last year at the University of South Florida and the Ohio State University and will select one or two more institutions to begin in 2015.
At each site, two recent college graduates a year are supported at the master’s or early PhD level; when they can, host institutions pitch in to support additional students. The amount of APS funding varies by institution but goes mainly toward student stipends and for the students and program leaders to attend a bridge conference hosted by APS. The aim is for the programs to continue beyond their...
